diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index 1d2624c3..c8b537ba 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -1641,29 +1641,28 @@ struct RegexMatch
 };
 
 using RegexMatchList = Vector<RegexMatch, MemoryDomain::Regions>;
-void append_matches(const Buffer& buffer, LineCount line, RegexMatchList& matches, const Regex& regex, bool capture)
-{
-    auto l = buffer[line];
-    for (auto&& m : RegexIterator{l.begin(), l.end(), regex})
-    {
-        const bool with_capture = capture and m[1].matched and
-                                  m[0].second - m[0].first < std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max();
-        matches.push_back({
-            line,
-            (int)(m[0].first - l.begin()),
-            (int)(m[0].second - l.begin()),
-            (uint16_t)(with_capture ? m[1].first - m[0].first : 0),
-            (uint16_t)(with_capture ? m[1].second - m[1].first : 0)
-        });
-    }
-}
 
 void insert_matches(const Buffer& buffer, RegexMatchList& matches, const Regex& regex, bool capture, LineRange range)
 {
     size_t pivot = matches.size();
     capture = capture and regex.mark_count() > 0;
+    ThreadedRegexVM<const char*, MatchDirection::Forward> vm{*regex.impl()};
     for (auto line = range.begin; line < range.end; ++line)
-        append_matches(buffer, line, matches, regex, capture);
+    {
+        const StringView l = buffer[line];
+        for (auto&& m : RegexIterator{l.begin(), l.end(), vm})
+        {
+            const bool with_capture = capture and m[1].matched and
+                                      m[0].second - m[0].first < std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max();
+            matches.push_back({
+                line,
+                (int)(m[0].first - l.begin()),
+                (int)(m[0].second - l.begin()),
+                (uint16_t)(with_capture ? m[1].first - m[0].first : 0),
+                (uint16_t)(with_capture ? m[1].second - m[1].first : 0)
+            });
+        }
+    }
 
     auto pos = std::lower_bound(matches.begin(), matches.begin() + pivot, range.begin,
                                 [](const RegexMatch& m, LineCount l) { return m.line < l; });
diff --git a/src/regex.hh b/src/regex.hh
index 4aa916c9..c0a1fea0 100644
--- a/src/regex.hh
+++ b/src/regex.hh
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ bool backward_regex_search(It begin, It end, It subject_begin, It subject_end,
 String option_to_string(const Regex& re);
 Regex option_from_string(Meta::Type<Regex>, StringView str);
 
-template<typename Iterator, MatchDirection direction = MatchDirection::Forward>
+template<typename Iterator, MatchDirection direction = MatchDirection::Forward,
+         typename VmArg = const Regex>
 struct RegexIterator
 {
     using ValueType = MatchResults<Iterator>;
@@ -177,25 +178,24 @@ struct RegexIterator
         const ValueType* operator->() const { kak_assert(m_valid); return &m_base.m_results; }
 
         It& operator++() { m_valid = m_base.next(); return *this; }
+        bool operator==(Sentinel) const { return not m_valid; }
+        bool operator!=(Sentinel) const { return m_valid; }
 
         RegexIterator& m_base;
         bool m_valid;
     };
 
-    friend bool operator==(const It& lhs, Sentinel) { return not lhs.m_valid; }
-    friend bool operator!=(const It& lhs, Sentinel) { return lhs.m_valid; }
-
     RegexIterator(Iterator begin, Iterator end,
                   Iterator subject_begin, Iterator subject_end,
-                  const Regex& re, RegexExecFlags flags = RegexExecFlags::None)
-        : m_vm{*re.impl()}, m_next_pos{direction == MatchDirection::Forward ? begin : end},
+                  VmArg& vm_arg, RegexExecFlags flags = RegexExecFlags::None)
+        : m_vm{make_vm(vm_arg)}, m_next_pos{direction == MatchDirection::Forward ? begin : end},
           m_begin{std::move(begin)}, m_end{std::move(end)},
           m_subject_begin{std::move(subject_begin)}, m_subject_end{std::move(subject_end)},
           m_flags{flags} {}
 
-    RegexIterator(const Iterator& begin, const Iterator& end, const Regex& re,
-                  RegexExecFlags flags = RegexExecFlags::None)
-        : RegexIterator{begin, end, begin, end, re, flags} {}
+    RegexIterator(const Iterator& begin, const Iterator& end,
+                  VmArg& vm_arg, RegexExecFlags flags = RegexExecFlags::None)
+        : RegexIterator{begin, end, begin, end, vm_arg, flags} {}
 
     It begin() { return {*this}; }
     Sentinel end() const { return {}; }
@@ -219,7 +219,11 @@ private:
         return true;
     }
 
-    ThreadedRegexVM<Iterator, direction> m_vm;
+    using RegexVM = ThreadedRegexVM<Iterator, direction>;
+    static RegexVM& make_vm(RegexVM& vm) { return vm; }
+    static RegexVM make_vm(const Regex& regex) { return {*regex.impl()}; }
+
+    decltype(make_vm(std::declval<VmArg&>())) m_vm;
     MatchResults<Iterator> m_results;
     Iterator m_next_pos{};
     const Iterator m_begin{};
diff --git a/src/selectors.cc b/src/selectors.cc
index fc661c08..06c64546 100644
--- a/src/selectors.cc
+++ b/src/selectors.cc
@@ -931,12 +931,13 @@ void select_all_matches(SelectionList& selections, const Regex& regex, int captu
 
     Vector<Selection> result;
     auto& buffer = selections.buffer();
+    ThreadedRegexVM<BufferIterator, MatchDirection::Forward> vm{*regex.impl()};
     for (auto& sel : selections)
     {
         auto sel_beg = buffer.iterator_at(sel.min());
         auto sel_end = utf8::next(buffer.iterator_at(sel.max()), buffer.end());
 
-        for (auto&& match : RegexIterator{sel_beg, sel_end, regex, match_flags(buffer, sel_beg, sel_end)})
+        for (auto&& match : RegexIterator{sel_beg, sel_end, vm, match_flags(buffer, sel_beg, sel_end)})
         {
             auto begin = match[capture].first;
             if (begin == sel_end)
@@ -972,12 +973,13 @@ void split_selections(SelectionList& selections, const Regex& regex, int capture
     auto& buffer = selections.buffer();
     auto buf_end = buffer.end();
     auto buf_begin = buffer.begin();
+    ThreadedRegexVM<BufferIterator, MatchDirection::Forward> vm{*regex.impl()};
     for (auto& sel : selections)
     {
         auto begin = buffer.iterator_at(sel.min());
         auto sel_end = utf8::next(buffer.iterator_at(sel.max()), buffer.end());
 
-        for (auto&& match : RegexIterator{begin, sel_end, regex, match_flags(buffer, begin, sel_end)})
+        for (auto&& match : RegexIterator{begin, sel_end, vm, match_flags(buffer, begin, sel_end)})
         {
             BufferIterator end = match[capture].first;
             if (end == buf_end)